Eau Gallie River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eau Gallie River |
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Eau Gallie River facing west from Ballard Park
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| Country | United States |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Eau Gallie, Florida |
| River mouth | Indian River |
Eau Gallie River is a 3.9-mile-long (6.3 km) river in Eau Gallie, Florida, United States. It is a tributary of the Indian River, with its mouth near Hawthorne Point.
History
The Eau Gallie River was formerly named Elbow Creek. Currently, Elbow Creek is a branch and tributary of the Eau Gallie River. In 1895, a bridge was built across the Eau Gallie River. In 1907, the Eau Gallie Yacht Club was formed as yachting became highly popular in the area. In 1910, the Eau Gallie Yacht Club built a clubhouse along the Eau Gallie River and remained at that location until 1960.
In 2011, residents and people using the river complained that sediment was preventing navigation by small boats. The 625,000 cubic yards (478,000 m3) of sediment was caused from nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers, as well as clay deposits. This sediment has killed life in the river. The Orlando Melbourne International Airport also drains into the river. A study estimates it would cost from $17.9 to $24.7 million to dredge the river. The priority for this was low.
In 2015, the ability to clean up estuaries was improved by the county taxpayers approving a half-cent sales tax. As a result, the county planned on removing 632,000 yards (578,000 m) equivalent to 42,000 dump trucks worth of muck from the river, as well as from its tributary, Elbow Creek. Included in the removal is 1,200 short tons (1,100 t) of nitrogen and 260 short tons (240 t) of phosphorus.
